Date: Fri, 3 Sep 2004 08:33:46 EDT
From: TulsaAuthor@aol.com
Subject: Tales from the Ranch, Chapter 55/55
Disclaimer: The following story is a work of fiction. If you
are offended by descriptions of homosexual acts or man/man
relations, please exit this page.
TALES FROM THE RANCH
Copyrightc 2004 by Tulsa Driller. All rights reserved.
This is a story of men who have two common interests. You will
see that they love the land where they live and work, but it is
also the story of young men who love other men and their coming
of age in a culture of prejudice and misunderstanding. It is a
story, which deals with difficult and often disturbing issues
but, nonetheless, issues which must be confronted in today's
world.
This is a work of fiction and in no way draws on the lives of any
specific person or persons. Any similarity to actual persons or
events is entirely coincidental. This work is copyrightedc by
the author and may not be reproduced in any form without the
specific written permission of the author. It is assigned to the
Nifty Archives under the terms of their submission agreement but
it may not be copied or archived on any other site without the
written permission of the author.
This story was to have lasted for 10 chapters, each dealing with
a year in the life of Jason and Kevin Williamson from puberty to
when they were in college. Somewhere along the way, probably
when Dale was introduced and then Craig, Joey and all the
"supporting cast" the story took on a life of its own. I've
loved writing every word and the characters have become so real
that I just sit and type what they tell me..
PLEASE: In a perfect world AIDS doesn't exist. My characters
have unprotected sex. I hope you use proper precautions because
I'd like you to be around to read the last chapter of this story.
Tales from the Ranch
Chapter 55:
Thursday, November 1, 1990 - All Saints Day
The next morning as Dale dropped Joey off at school, he gave
him a note to take to Betty Armstrong, stating that he would pick
Joey up from school at 9:40 as there was family business to be
taken care of. He further wrote that it was possible that he
wouldn't be returned to the school until time for afternoon
classes.
"Here's your note to get you an excused absence. I'll pick
you up at 9:40, so be at the front door at that time, okay?"
"Yeah, Dad, I'll be here. Is it okay to tell my pals what's
going on?"
"Sure, but why don't you wait until after lunch and then it
will be for real instead of just something being planned?"
"That's cool. I'm just excited about this and David Perkins
said that he wanted me to get some of my friends to help us,
too."
"I know he did. We'll have to figure out what to do about
that for sure, but I know that he'll certainly expect several of
you to learn all you can about several different software
programs. I don't understand all that much about it, but I'm
sure you will have no problems learning it."
Joey flashed his own 1000-watt grin at Dale. "We won't
disappoint you," he said, opening the door of the Blazer as Dale
stopped at the curb. "Bye Dad," he said as he shut the door.
Dale gave Joey a thumbs-up as he said "Goodbye" and drove
off.
* * * *
David Perkins had told Dale and Craig the evening before
that he wanted to talk to Dennis Masters, who worked for the
Electronic Home. Craig agreed to call Dennis to find out when he
might be available for an interview.
Craig didn't waste any time, calling Dennis as soon as he
was dressed for the day. He punched the numbers on the keypad
and Dennis answered on the second ring.
Craig identified himself, and then said, "I hope I'm not
calling you too early, but I wasn't sure if your work schedule
was still the same."
"Yeah, I'm not too far from being ready to leave, so this is
a good time. What's up?" he hopefully asked.
"Remember when we told you we were thinking about opening a
computer store?" Craig asked.
"Sure. Is it going to happen?"
'Yes. As a matter of fact we are signing the legal papers
and loan agreement this morning. Our General Manager is a fellow
by the name of David Perkins and he'd like to talk to you and
find out what skills and knowledge you could bring to our new
company."
Dennis was pleased. The owners of the Electronic Home
didn't seem to realize that by not allowing Dennis to stock items
people needed, the business was going to go downhill. As the
stock disappeared, it wasn't replaced and sales sagged. Dennis
was about to check with some of the computer stores in Austin to
see if they would hire him.
"I'd really like to talk to him. The people I work for
don't think that there is going to be any real demand for
personal computers and that everyone who wants one has already
bought one. I don't think that's the case because I think the
business is going to keep growing," Dennis told Craig.
"Well, that's the way we see it. I expect to sign at least
a short-term lease for about 25,000 square feet of space. I
don't know that it will be a permanent location, but we expect to
have a grand opening the day after Thanksgiving and be able to
take advantage of the Christmas season for sales."
"That's a lot of space for a computer store," a surprised
Dennis said.
"Not all of it will be devoted to a sales floor. We will
have a service department as well as office space and several
small rooms for classes. There will also be some warehouse space
and we expect to carry computer desks, chairs and plenty of
accessories such as paper, books, software and other hardware,
such as printers. In other words we are going to have a lot of
stock and expect to sell it by offering sales, service and
training."
"That's good news. I think you will do well and I'm really
interested now. It will be nice to work for a company like
yours, Dennis said.
"Do you have some time today that we can meet?" Craig asked.
"Sure. I'm giving a lecture for the accounting class on
computer usage at Western Juco this morning but I'll be out of
class and back home by 12:30. I'm supposed to be at work at two
o'clock, but this is important to me so I can call and tell them
I'll be late if that's necessary.
"Let's plan to meet at 1 o'clock. Do you know where my
office is?" Craig questioned.
"No," Dennis told him.
Craig gave him the address and told Dennis that they would
see him after lunch.
* * * *
Doris went along with her family for the signing of the
contracts and took pictures of the men signing the various forms
they needed to complete the deal. Joey was so proud to be
included, although he knew his signature had no legal standing.
It was because his two Dads wanted him to be part of the event.
He was looking forward to all of the opportunities that this
presented. It would give him and some of his friends an after-
school activity with a chance to learn something that would be
helpful to the business as well as a chance for them to earn some
extra spending money.
All of them were surprised that both the President of the
Bank of Commerce and Marty Williamson were there. Marty, of
course, was Chairman of the Bank Board, and their presence was
explained as the first of Leland's deals that to directly affect
the economy of Williamsport. The Williamsport Journal had sent a
reporter to take pictures and get some statements for a "local
news" article.
Marty really wanted to quietly share in the party mood with
Dale and Craig and their family. However, the publicity was at
his insistence. Whatever he could do to help the economy of
Williamsport, he was behind the scenes and lending his efforts to
promote any business.
All of the pictures were taken and contracts signed by
11:15. Marty had not had an opportunity to meet David Perkins
until that morning, but he was impressed with him and
congratulated Frank, Dale and Craig individually on their having
found him. All three of them told Marty that it was Leland
Stanton's effort that was making all of this possible. That
pleased Marty, as he was the person responsible for hiring Leland
to work for the Bank of Commerce.
Craig had a question for Leland about signing a lease for a
store location. "How do we go about this?"
"Frank has the company checkbook. If you fellows are
satisfied with the location, I'm in agreement. I think the place
next to the theatre is a good one although they haven't had a
great deal of interest from someone wanting to rent the building.
I think that's the reason they dropped the rental rate and made
it really favorable to you fellows."
"It seems to me that it will need less work to get it ready
for our purposes than the other place," Craig said.
"You are right about that," Leland told him. "For one
thing, you won't have to repaint the walls unless you want to
change the color scheme. The light fixtures are fairly new and
recessed into the ceiling. That makes for a better appearance
than the old style hanging fixtures in the other building. I
think it's the better choice."
"Okay, we'll try to get a lease nailed down in the next
couple of days. Dad can certainly deal with them as to what
needs to be done."
* * * * *
As they were standing in the first floor lobby, Frank
suggested lunch as it was just after 11:35. They decided that
Tony D's was the best place to do. Craig did a quick headcount.
Since David Perkins and Joey were with them there would be 6 for
lunch. It was just before the time the restaurant got busy for
the noon hour rush so they split up with David and Joey riding
with Dale and Craig's parents in his car.
Greg greeted them at the front counter and Dale introduced
David Perkins, telling him that this place had the best pizza for
miles around.
Greg sensed that this might be a business dinner and offered
the small dining room instead of a table where it might be
noisier. The group was pleased at the suggestion, so Greg seated
them asking if they wanted cocktails as he handed out menus.
"No," Craig told him. "We have a lot to accomplish this
afternoon and need to get Joey back to class by the time his
lunch hour is over. We also have an appointment to interview
someone at 1 o'clock."
"Okay," Greg said. "I'll take orders for coffee, tea or
soft drinks," starting around the table. Greg was taken with
David Perkins and wondered who he was and what business he had
with Dale and Craig. He was getting ready to ask David what
brought him to Williamsport when Craig spoke up.
"We just signed the paperwork for Joey to start a new
business and David is going to run it for him," he grinned at
Greg.
Joey, of course, had an ear-to-ear smile on his face. He
thought that was a neat introduction to telling Greg what they
were doing.
Greg was surprised. What could Joey possibly be doing?
After all he was only a freshman in high school.
Dale took over the conversation, telling Greg what was
really happening.
"Wow! I'm sure that a place like that should be a good move
on your part. Otherwise we have to go to Austin and the computer
stores are scattered all over the city. I hope your place is
going to be well-stocked."
"It will be. We're leasing the building where the
Electronic Home used to be. We'll be a full-line store with a
service department, too," Craig said.
"That's a lot of space. This will be a good thing for
Williamsport."
Greg excused himself to get the drinks that had been
ordered. He went to the kitchen to pick up a large antipasto
plate and breadsticks, telling one of the bus boys to take them,
along with salad plates and utensils to the small dining room.
He asked one of the waitresses to fill the drink orders and went
back to the dining room to take their food orders.
* * * * *
Dale took Doris back to their condo, and then dropped Joey
off in front of the high school, as Craig, David and Frank were
to meet Dennis Masters at 1 p.m.
After Doris got out of the Blazer, Dale asked Joey, "Don't
you have Drivers Ed this evening?"
"Yeah," Joey replied, not exactly thrilled because at this
point the class was all about traffic laws, care of the vehicle
and other things necessary before he ever had a chance to put his
hands on a steering wheel.
"Don't forget that you are supposed to be at church early
this evening, so I'll pick you up and take you there. I guess
there won't be a chance to eat until after we get back home after
mass, but I heard Doris say that she was preparing a big dinner
for later."
"I know, but I had plenty to eat for lunch," Joey said.
"Okay, just reminding you," Dale told him.
"Thanks for taking me with you today and letting me sign the
contracts. I know that my signature doesn't really mean
anything, but thanks for including me. It really makes me feel
good."
"That's okay. We're all in this together and I know we can
make it work. I wasn't too sure about this until your
grandfather decided to help us out. I know that nothing can go
wrong with him on top of everything," Dale said.
"He really knows a lot about business, doesn't he?" Joey
asked.
"More than all the rest of our family put together, with the
exception of maybe you," Dale teased, poking Joey on his left
arm.
By this time Dale was parking to let Joey out. "It's okay
to tell my pals now?" Joey asked.
"Sure. It will probably be in the Williamsport Journal
tomorrow anyway," Dale told him.
"Super!" Joey exclaimed. "I can hardly wait! Thanks, Dad,"
he said as he got out of the car. "See you after Drivers Ed."
Dale drove back to the Bar-W, reflecting on the complete
turn-about that had occurred in his life the last two months. He
had a lot to be thankful for.
* * * * *
Dennis Masters was just parking his VW Jetta as Craig pulled
his car into the parking area at the office he and Don Albrecht
shared. Craig made the introductions, and then invited everyone
inside. He had to borrow a chair from the lobby area so everyone
would have a place to sit in his office.
Dennis gave a brief version of his verbal resume to each of
them and handed Craig a printed copy. While the other three were
talking, Craig went to their common workroom to make copies for
each of them to look at so they would be able to question Dennis.
When David questioned Dennis about what type of position he
was applying for, Dennis didn't hesitate. "I'd like to be
involved in designing, selling, installation and training for
network systems." When David found out that Dennis had had a lot
of experience with Novell networks, he was very pleased as he
thought that would be a big part of the business for Saber
Computers. Even small businesses were discovering the advantage
of having a server/workstation system and it was for all types of
businesses, not limited to a few specialty applications.
David's next question was, "What kind of computer inventory
does Electric Home have?"
Dennis laughed. "Inventory? They would never turn me loose
to order what we could sell, which were economy models that would
sell for around $1,500 for a system that included a color monitor
and an inexpensive printer. The cheapest system we ever had to
sell was in excess of $2,000. Needless to say, most were sold to
businesses and few to consumers. We never had more than 5
computers in stock and they only have three now. I think there
are maybe 10 software packages of different kinds, a few games
and a couple of printers that are a result of being backordered
and we ordered more without realizing that."
"Sounds like they are trying to get out of the computer
business, doesn't it?" Craig asked.
"I know for a fact that as soon as your new store is
announced, that will be the end of their computers and I'll be
out of a job unless I want to sell stoves and refrigerators."
"We don't have any stoves and refrigerators, but I will
offer you a job in our network systems area," David told him.
"Okay." Dennis hesitated.
David realized that they hadn't talked about salary and he
and Frank hadn't talked about benefits yet at that point. Those
needed to be finalized before any job offer could be made.
"Dennis, you are truly in on the ground floor of this
company. There is a job for you, but until the owners, Frank and
me sit down to iron out various wage packages and benefits, I
can't say anything about salary and other things that go along
with the job.
Dennis was relieved, up to a point. He had the offer of a
job, but he didn't know what was required, the salary or any
other benefits.
"May I ask how much they are paying you now?"
"Less and less," Dennis said. "They pay me $6.50 an hour
plus a 15% commission. That was pretty good to begin with, but
I'm selling less because there isn't any inventory to sell."
"Look, we're checking out a building to rent after we're
through talking to you. In another week there is going to be a
lot of merchandise delivered as well as fixtures, shelving and
other inventory. If you want to work for us while we are getting
the store ready to open, I'll pay you $13.50 an hour for as many
hours as you want to work. That's a base of $540 a week, plus
time and a half for overtime over 8 hours a day. Would you be
able to start next week?"
"Yeah, that's very generous of you," he replied.
"Believe me, with trying to get this store ready to open in
3 weeks, you'll earn every penny of it. In the meantime, we'll
get our heads together to talk about various compensation
packages for all employees and make you a formal offer when
that's prepared."
Frank was sitting there, nodding his head. He liked the way
David made decisions.
Dennis replied, "That will be fine. Where and when should I
report for work?"
"I have to go back to Kansas City, vacate my apartment and
haul everything down here. Hopefully I'll be back in
Williamsport sometime Monday evening or Tuesday morning. Maybe I
can hire you to help me unload the truck and help get me
settled?" David asked.
"Sure, I can do that," Dennis said.
"Plan on Monday morning at 8 a.m. Regardless of which
building we lease, we'll have a lot of work to do there just
getting the place measured so we can order shelving and other
fixtures. We're going to have to put up some walls to separate
some areas, so I'll have to see if we can get a contractor to do
that. If not, we may all be carpenters for a few days," Craig
said.
"Okay," Dennis laughed. I've worked on framing crews a
couple of summers."
David stood up to indicate that the meeting was over and
Dennis shook hands all around before leaving.
Craig said, "I'll call you to let you know the place and
time on Monday."
As Dennis was leaving his thoughts turned to David. He'd
have to ask Dale and Craig what they knew about him. He was
looking forward to helping him move into his new apartment; maybe
they could become better acquainted then.
"I think Dennis may fit in well with this company.
Certainly the people he's been working for have screwed him out
of a good income. It's too bad that they refuse to recognize the
potential of the computer business. But, then if they had we
wouldn't be standing here offering him a job, would we?" David
said.
Both Frank and Craig agreed with him.
* * * * *
Armed with tape measures and note pads, Frank, David and
Craig met the owner of the building next to the Majestic Theatre
at 2 o'clock. Craig had driven past the old Cloth World store
and realized the little shopping center badly needed a facelift
and didn't have the parking that was available in this location.
As Craig parked, Frank spoke. "The buildings in this area
have been well maintained."
"Actually, when they refurbished the theatre about 3 years
ago, it helped the area re-establish itself. Suddenly people
were coming to a first run movie house, a restaurant opened, then
other businesses followed in turn. The only empty building in a
2 block area is the one we are going to look at," Craig answered.
Frank said, "There is a large parking lot across the street.
That should help all the businesses, too."
David was impressed with what he'd seen of Williamsport in
the short time he'd been in town. He hoped that his first
impression was well founded.
Rick Seever was waiting for them in front of the building.
Craig made the introductions. Rick gave each of them a firm
handshake and held the door so they could enter. He had already
turned the lights on, so the empty space was brightly lit. Rick
briefly recited the building specifications.
"There is 22,500 square feet of space. The building is 150
by 150 and there are two loading docks at the back that open into
a room that is 30 by 40 feet. The back 75 feet, behind that wall
was used for warehouse space."
There were 3 offices on the east side of the building, one
of which he explained had been the business office when the
Electronic Home was located in the building. "That room is about
25 by 20 and the other two offices are about 14 by 12 feet."
"Notice that the floor tile is in good shape." Indeed it
was and appeared to have been cleaned after the previous business
and moved out.
Frank and Craig were looking around the building while David
was talking to Rick. Craig noticed that there were three double
doors on the front, then realized that the building could be
divided into three separate areas that could be up to 50 feet
wide if walls were put up. That might be something they would
want to do later, but for the immediate purposes, he liked the
large open area. Certainly they could put up inside walls to
handle the office needs as well as housing a service and assembly
department. Classrooms could be added later.
Craig and Frank measured the inside of the building to see
exactly how much space the office area took up. He could hardly
wait to get back to his office and start some sketches for the
various areas inside the store.
David called Frank over to talk to Rick and Craig followed.
Rick had a proposal for a lease agreement with him and he and
David had already hashed out some of the major points of the
contract. Frank read through the contract with Craig looking on.
He had questions about two of the clauses and asked for
clarification. They turned out to be the same sections that
David had asked to be modified. As soon as this was clarified,
Frank agreed to the lease with Craig and David's approval.
Leland had already approved the lease agreement in general
terms and the men were able to negotiate a somewhat better rate
for the monthly rental, with the financial aspect of the lease
being addressed in six months. David had renegotiated that
clause for a lease for a year without the percent of sales clause
kicking in. The contract would be up for renewal at the
beginning of November 1991.
Rick told the men that he would have a contract ready for
them to sign the next morning, but gave Craig 3 sets of keys
saying that a handshake was enough for him to give them access to
the building. He reminded Craig to bring a certificate of
insurance and that he should get electric, gas and water accounts
set up with the local utilities.
The three men shook hands with Rick as they left the new
store building. Frank crawled in the back seat, leaving David to
ride in the bucket seat on the passenger side.
Craig started the car. "Where to next?"
David spoke up. "I guess that I'd better see about a plane
ticket to Kansas City. Would one of you fellows be able to take
me to Austin?"
"I could do that," Frank said. "Sounds to me like Craig has
some things that he needs to see to with getting utilities
transferred and talking to his insurance agent."
"He's right about that. Why don't we go back to my office
and you can call the airlines from there?"
"That's fine with me. I have an open-end ticket, but just
need to make sure there is a seat for me on whatever flight works
out best."
* * * * *
Joey was back in the school building in time to go to class
before the bell rang. It was too late to see if his pals were
still in the cafeteria, but he could hardly wait to tell them
what had happened that morning. He had been so tempted to tell
at least Daniel what was going on, but had kept his silence about
the matter at the urging of his two Dads.
His first afternoon class was Texas History and Bryce
Barnett was the only one of Joey's group that shared this class.
He decided not to say anything to Bryce about the new store -
just yet.
* * * * *
Matt was really enjoying going to school at Davy Crockett.
He had made a lot of friends after the first couple of days. He
knew that many of the boys and some of the girls were curious to
know what had happened to him. His reply of "I was in an
accident" seemed to satisfy most of them, but several had pushed
harder for a better answer.
Surprisingly, it was Bryce who seemed to be really pushing
the issue and he had asked some questions that were quite
pointed, not wanting to be satisfied with Matt's reason.
Matt missed his brother and sister, but not his parents,
especially his father. His mother had seen to it that he had
most of his clothing along with money for school supplies and
meals, but she hadn't bothered to call to see if he was okay.
Matt had called home twice and talked to their housekeeper, Mrs.
Fremont, once and his sister once. He'd left a message with the
housekeeper that he was getting along okay, but there was no
communication from the other end.
However, Tom Bryant and Eddie Thompson had shown him more
love and attention since he'd lived with them than his parents
had ever given. He thought it was great the way they teased each
other and that they were not afraid to show their love for each
other in his presence, although it was usually a brief hug or
kiss. They had also been good about answering his questions and
providing material for him to read.
He had been disappointed that Joey wasn't able to go to
choir rehearsal the evening before, but Bret Jenkins had taken
him under his wing and met Matt at the church a half hour before
choir rehearsal. Paul gave Matt a somewhat hurried audition
after he heard his strong bass voice. Matt could read music
better than some in the choir and could tell Paul the note names.
He had taken a few piano lessons, but baseball and other
activities had won out over music a few years earlier. Now it
was going to be fun to be part of a good choral group.
Paul wasted no time in deciding where he wanted Matt to sit
and told him that he would need to stay after choir to have
vestments fitted, as well as some instruction for the solemn high
mass for All Saints Day coming up the next evening.
Matt was also thankful for the attention that Joey Sullivan
had given him. Joey was tight with his buddies and they took
Matt into their group with no questions asked. Joey was a very
thoughtful person and seemed to have the respect of everyone.
True, with that hairy chest he looked much older than he was, but
he just seemed assured of his place in the world and met all
challenges head-on.
The way Joey and Daniel Pearson had shared their knowledge
of computers with Matt had been great for him. Otherwise, he
wouldn't have had a clue as to what was going on. Joey and
Daniel seemed to be the only ones in the class who had any kind
of handle on Basic programming. The others were floundering -
big time. A few were teaching themselves how to use a word
processor and spreadsheets, but the program tutorials for
WordStar and Lotus were very limited in what commands they
taught.
The instructor, Kent Korte, didn't seem to have any interest
in the students or their progress. It was like a supervised
study hall and the only thing that seemed to matter to him was
that the students log on to a bulletin board everyday, whatever
that was. Daniel was covering for both him and Joey in that
matter. Matt realized that what the teacher didn't know wouldn't
hurt him. Joey and Daniel were determined that they were going
to ace the class and Matt was happy to be part of that group of
three.
* * * * *
Ray Evans decided that he would start John with the crew
headed by George Starns. He thought that would be a good fit as
George was an excellent foreman and, although he pushed his men,
they respected him for it as he never had been known to have a
cross word with anyone who worked for him. So the last stop they
made on Wednesday evening was to that work site where George's
crew was framing a two-story office addition to an existing
building.
Ray had already talked to George about John, telling him
that he was trying to give him a quick education in the way their
company ran and exposing him to the various crews for a few days
each. They agreed that John would work with George's crew for a
week, as he would be exposed to framing, sheeting, electrical
wiring, insulation and roofing.
John reported to that site early the next morning as the
crew was starting work at 7:15, the sunrise determining the
amount of light they would have. With the workload the company
had, it was imperative they take advantage of the daylight hours,
so most of the crews were working up to 12 hours a day. Many of
the men didn't like it, but the pay was good and they knew they
would get a bonus when a building contract was completed ahead of
time.
* * * * *
Meanwhile Michael and Pat were plowing and preparing two
sections of land for planting winter wheat. The work was going
slowly since there were only two people working the ground
instead of the usual three. Dale had told them that he would not
be hiring anyone else to fill out their crew since they would
shut down for a couple of months after the wheat was drilled.
The downtime would be used to clean and inspect all of the
equipment and make repairs where necessary.
They had talked to John the evening after he left the Bar-W
and started working for Ray Evans' company, Home Builders
Corporation.
"Are you going to live here after we move out?" was the
question Pat had. John knew that Pat meant now that
circumstances had changed and not necessarily that the other two
would be living at the Bar-W crew quarters.
"No, I'm going to look for an apartment since I think I can
afford one now. I've saved most of my pay since I started
working with you guys and I'll be making a little more money now
in my new job."
Of course the other two men were curious about the whole
deal, as John hadn't said anything to them to indicate that he
was unhappy at the Bar-W. The only concern they had discussed
was that John wasn't comfortable in allowing his boyfriend, Nolan
Nichols, to spend the night at the new crew quarters. He was
afraid of getting caught and that Dale would fire him if he knew
he was gay. If that happened, he probably couldn't get another
job in Williamsport as everyone would surely find out about him
then.
"How much is Ray going to pay you?" Michael questioned.
"Yeah, it must be pretty good to make you want to leave the
Bar-W."
John fudged on his answer. "Not a lot more to begin with,
but there is the chance of becoming a foreman if they are
satisfied with my work. They have a lot of work and need to add
some more people to get their contracts completed on time." John
hoped that neither Pat nor Michael would ask him to help them get
on the crew. It wasn't that he didn't like them or think they
couldn't do the work. He thought that Dale would think he lured
them away. He really felt guilty about quitting without
seemingly having given the job a good try. He respected Dale,
but felt like he'd let him down.
"I don't think I'd want to be a carpenter," Pat said. "It
looks like hard work."
"The job I have now is just fine for me. Dale indicated
that he would be hiring more people in the spring. Maybe one of
us will get a chance to be the Crops Foreman," Michael told John.
"Well you would certainly have the edge since you've worked
there," John agreed.
"I don't think I'd want that job anyway," Pat said. "I
enjoy riding around on the equipment and just thinking. Sure,
the weather isn't always the best, but I love to be outside."
All of a sudden John felt better about moving on to a new
job with lots of opportunities. He was trying to better himself
and Michael and Pat were content to continue to do their jobs
forever with no changes.
* * * * *
Daniel and Matt were the first of his pals that Joey had a
chance to talk to. Bryce was the only one of his group of pals
in his first afternoon class and he didn't feel the camaraderie
with him that he felt with the others.
Although he and Bret sat next to each other in Mixed Chorus,
they couldn't talk.
So, Joey was about to burst when the three finally sat down
around the same workstation in Kent Korte's class.
Daniel beat him to the punch. "Hey, guy, where were you
this morning? You missed two classes and weren't there for
lunch, either. Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, more than okay. I've been wanting to tell you guys
what is going on for the last week, but my Dads wanted me to wait
until we were for sure what is going to happen."
"Well, now you have both of us in suspense," Matt said.
"Spill it," Daniel requested.
"Our family, that means my Dads and my grandparents, is
going to open a computer store here in Williamsport. I think
they are going to lease the building next to the Majestic Theatre
where the Electronic Home used to be."
"That's an awfully big building for a computer store. Don't
you mean just part of it?" Daniel queried.
"No, the whole thing. We're going to have computers and
printers to sell as well as software and books. and office
furniture, too. There will be a service department and they plan
to custom build computers to customer requirements"
"Wow!" Daniel replied.
Matt was interested. "There's a store like that in Austin,
but this sounds bigger."
Daniel thought for a moment. "Wait a minute. Your
grandparents live in Dallas, don't they?"
"In Arlington, that's between Dallas and Ft. Worth," Joey
replied. "My grandpa, is going to be the business manager and
we've hired a guy by the name of David Perkins who is going to
move here from Kansas City to run the store."
About that time Kent Korte asked for everyone's attention to
make the daily announcement as to who hadn't logged onto his
computer bulletin board. Today there were five people on his
list; Daniel, Joey and Matt weren't among those named.
"Thanks for covering for me," Matt told Daniel.
"Me, too," Joey agreed.
"Hey, not a problem. That's what friends are for," Daniel
answered. Then they shook hands.
"When is this place going to open?" Matt questioned.
"The day after Thanksgiving. We think we can sell a lot of
computers during the Christmas season."
"That soon?" Daniel questioned.
"Yeah, and do you want to hear the best part?"
The guys nodded their heads.
"David wants several of us to learn all we can about
software, like word processing, spreadsheets and database
programs. He said that he would hire some of us with skills like
that to work in the store. He thinks we can help sell computers
by giving demonstrations"
"Way cool," Daniel said. He was excited about the prospect
of having an after school job.
"Yeah, and he said he would hire some of my friends to help
get the store ready to open. That's like unpacking merchandise,
stocking shelves and learning all we can about what we will be
selling," Joey proudly said.
"That sounds like hard work, to me," Matt told them. He
wasn't used to having to do anything except clean up after
himself. They'd always had a housekeeper to keep the house clean
and prepare meals. His mother always saw to it that the house
was spotless and everything in its place - all the time.
"It's up to you. If you don't want to help get the store
ready to open I can find other people, but demonstrating
computers is something else. That's not physical work."
Matt was glad that Joey wasn't putting him down for his
reluctance to help unpack and stock merchandise.
"I can probably help with the demos, but I don't have a
computer. Mr. Bryant and Mr. Thompson have one, but I'm not sure
what they use it for all the time. I know Mr. Bryant uses a
spreadsheet to keep track of test scores and other things that
factor into our school records. Maybe they will let me use their
computer, I'll ask when I get home this evening."
Daniel's ears perked up at that one. He didn't know that
Matt lived with Tom Bryant and Eddie Thompson. In fact he hadn't
even been sure the two men lived together until Matt made his
last statement. That was an interesting bit of information.
Daniel knew that Joey lived with "his two Dads" and that Dale and
Joey were half-brothers. Then to add this latest bit of
information to what he already knew. Was there something going
on among all the men? He would sure like to find out. He
started scheming a way to quiz Joey about all this without
tipping his hand.
While Daniel was explaining how the three Basic programs
they had designed and tested, Joey was thinking about a program
that would allow input of a series of numbers and add them
together. There would be a lot of loops and "Go To" statements
in that program. He pulled out a tablet of yellow paper and went
to work.
* * * * *
The first boys to leave the dressing room and go to the gym
floor grabbed basketballs and started practicing free throws at
the four backboards in the gym. The group grew as the other boys
came out of the dressing room and joined in.
The next thing they heard was the sound of a whistle.
Joey's first thought was that Coach Dennison was back.
It was Coach Eddie Thompson and Coach Carol Holman was with
him. All play stopped immediately as Eddie asked the boys to
gather around so he could talk to them.
"Gentlemen," he began.
Joey's thought was, 'This is a lot better than being called
"Faggots".' He had to laugh to himself at his idea.
Eddie continued. "Due to the class schedules of the other
male coaches, the gym classes will be shared by Coach Carol
Holman and myself. Some weeks I may be here everyday and other
weeks Ms. Holman may be working with you all week."
There was only a very slight murmuring among the boys.
Eddie continued. "From now on there will be a notice posted
at the basket rack as to what attire you are to wear each day.
We will not be playing half-court basketball for entertainment in
this class anymore."
There was a round of applause, along with whistles and other
demonstrations." Eddie and Carol grinned at the boys.
"Today we are going to play volleyball - on the full court
and everybody will have a chance to join in." With that
statement, Eddied turned around to pick up two jerseys, one red
and the other was green. "Get in line and I'll hand out the team
colors," he said, tossing jerseys to the boys in random order,
being handed to him by Coach Holman.
Bryce ended up on the green team, while Matt and Joey
received red jerseys. Joey loved volleyball and was good at it.
He ended up on the front row and was really impressive to watch.
He seemed to move with the ball and very quickly his team was up
10 points.
Coach Holman blew her whistle. "Those on the front two rows
go to the sidelines. The rest of you move up and those that
haven't been playing take the back two rows."
This was her way of assuring that everyone got in on the
action and played different positions.
Joey and many of the others decided that Phys Ed might be
fun, after all.
When it was time for the showers, Coach Thompson started by
sending those on the sidelines to the dressing room first. Joey
was in the second group to go to the showers.
* * * * *
Frank took David Perkins to the airport and they had a
chance to visit on the way.
"Are you moving to Williamsport right away?" David asked
Frank.
"Doris and I are going to lease a furnished apartment for
three months. We'll scout out property to buy during that time.
By the end of January you and I will know how the business is
going and if you want me to stay on as the business manager.
Only then will we decide on a permanent move to Williamsport and
then put our house on the market."
"I sense that you and I see things pretty much the same way.
I'm more than willing to allow you free reign to conduct the
daily business in the way you see fit. After all, you have the
credentials to do it."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Frank said.
"Furthermore, I feel that even though we are starting out as
a retail business, the real money is going to come from the sale
of network systems to all types of businesses. Then later on
Leland thinks we'll get into mail order and eventually
manufacturing. Believe me, the big bucks will be ours because
we'll be selling nationwide to other computer companies."
They visited about other things on the way to the airport.
David only had one suitcase and a carry-on bag so told Frank to
drop him at the curb instead of parking in the lot.
"Thanks for the ride to the airport. I'll let Craig know
for sure when I'll arrive back in Williamsport, but it will
probably be late on Tuesday," David told Frank.
"We're going back to Arlington tomorrow and should be back
in Williamsport on Tuesday, too. I think Doris was going to try
to nail down a place for us to live for the next few months, so
all we'll be bringing is mostly clothing," Frank told him.
The men shook hands and Frank eased back into traffic for
the return trip to Williamsport.
* * * * *
Dale picked Joey up from the Drivers Ed class and took him
to the church. Joey was still griping about the fact that he was
having to learn all about traffic laws and the care of a vehicle
before actually having hands-on experience.
"You can withdraw from the class if you want, but you still
have to pass a driving test to get a learners permit. Besides
insurance on a car will be cheaper if you pass the course. The
insurance companies look at that and your grades in order to set
rates," Dale told him. He was annoyed at Joey's grousing.
Joey, for his part, was immediately sorry he'd even
mentioned the subject. When he got right down to it, he realized
that he had to have the class to get a learners permit and he was
sorry that he'd sounded off to Dale. He wasn't getting any
sympathy from him and, in fact, could tell he had crossed the
line by even mentioning the subject again.
"I'm sorry," Joey said in a contrite voice. "I won't
mention it again." Dale could tell he was sincere.
"It's not a problem. You want to drive, ya gotta play the
game their way, bud," Dale said as he reached over and squeezed
the back of Joey's neck.
"I took the class and believe me it made an impression on me
because you pick up on traffic rules and driver courtesy that you
won't get anywhere else. For instance, I learned to use turn
signals regardless of a car being behind or ahead of me. It
allows the other drivers to know what your intent is and in many
cases, allow them to move and clear the intersection prior to you
starting your own turn."
"I hadn't thought about that," Joey said, noticing that Dale
had flipped the right turn signal to go into the church parking
lot.
"The classroom part of the course will go quickly. I'm sure
you will ace the course and become a first-class driver," Dale
told him.
"Hey, I've learned how to ride a horse and drive a car all
in the same month," Joey giggled as he got out of the car and
told Dale goodbye.
Dale shook his head as he circled around the parking lot and
headed to their condo.
* * * * *
Frank had just returned from Austin and taking David Perkins
to the airport. Mitsy came bounding down the steps toward Dale
just as Craig parked his car in the lot. Mitsy was glad to see
Dale and made a quick rollover before heading to her favorite
place in the flowerbed. Then she spotted Craig and went through
the same routine with him before finally going to the flowerbed.
"She is such a great dog," Dale said. "I'm glad that you
let me have both Joey and her," he teased.
"Hey fella," Craig said, giving Dale a hug. "I got the best
deal of all. First I got you, then Joey and Mitsy, too. What a
deal!"
By this time Mitsy was through with her needs and came
romping back to where Dale and Craig were standing. They both
squatted down to give her the attention she demanded, Dale
scratching her stomach and Craig rubbing her head and ears. She
was in dog heaven.
"How was your afternoon?" Dale asked his lover.
"Really good. David hired Dennis Masters as a network
expert, although he's going to start working for us on Monday so
we can get the building ready for us to use." Then Craig
laughed. "I think that Dennis has his eye on David, so I need to
warn him that he's straight before he tries to put a move on
him."
"Oh God," Dale said. "We don't need Dennis making a move on
David. That could really complicate things and maybe cause
Dennis to get fired before he even starts."
"I know. I'll talk to Dennis when he comes to work. You
are right, we don't want a problem."
"Now the other good news is that we rented the building next
to the Majestic Theatre and David was able to negotiate a better
rental agreement. We'll be paying a fixed rent for the first
year, and then can sign a new lease where the percent of sales
clause kicks in. The proposed agreement Rick had was for the
percentage to kick in after six months."
"He's a sharp guy, isn't he?" Dale asked.
"Yeah, between Dad and him I think we've got all the bases
covered," Craig agreed.
"Do you want the truth about something?" Dale asked as he
stood up.
"Tell me." Craig stood up, too. Mitsy started for the
stairs.
"If Frank hadn't stepped in to help us, I don't think I
would have agreed to this venture. There were just too many
uncertain questions in my mind as to the business and if we would
really ever know what was going on."
"I'm with you. I never thought about Dad being interested
in helping us. He'd never mentioned that he wasn't really happy
with the legal profession and certainly never gave any indication
that he might be willing to help us."
"I'm glad he did. I just hope that he doesn't get short-
changed from it," Dale said.
"Look, if he decided to retire from the law firm today, he
and Mom have more than enough money to see them through a
comfortable retirement. This venture could make all of us
wealthy if what Leland said comes true. I'm very secure with
what we are doing and I hope you are, too."
"Hon, I am very happy about this, too. Something tells me
that we are on the cutting edge of a new venture that will
benefit our whole family," Dale said, giving Craig an embrace and
quick kiss while they were standing on the sidewalk. Neither
cared if anyone else was watching them. Craig returned the
gesture.
* * * * *
As the men and Mitsy entered the apartment, Dale made the
comment about how good the house smelled. Doris had been working
her magic in the kitchen.
"Smells good, Mom," Dale and Craig said almost in unison.
Doris beamed.
Craig picked up Mitsy's food and water dishes to wash them
out before filling them with her dry dog food and fresh water.
"What are we going to have to eat tonight?" Dale asked,
giving Doris a hug around her waist.
"Oven stew. It's just starting to cook and will be ready by
the time we get home from church. I baked an apple cobbler and
we'll have fresh green beans, steamed broccoli, French bread and
a salad to go with it. Almost everything is done except to fix
the vegetables and Joey can help me with that while we have happy
hour after we get home.
"I can see that if you continue to cook for us that Craig
and I are going to have to hit the gym at least twice a day in
addition to me loading every bale of hay I can find on the Bar-W
Ranch," Dale teased.
"Well, I found a place to rent today. It's over in the
River Park complex and it's a two-bedroom unit. I went to
Furniture Mart and we can rent enough furniture to fill it for
$450 a month. I hope that's okay," she told Frank.
"That's fine with me," Frank told her.
Craig immediately spoke up. "David Perkins rented a two-
bedroom unit there, too. He wanted a six-month lease and thought
that would give him time to find a house to buy."
"Yes, actually we will be living next door to each other,"
Doris told them. "I signed a lease for three months, with a
renewal clause. That way we are close to you fellows, but we'll
each have our own space and I sense that renting Vernon Ernst's
condo is too much togetherness," Doris smiled.
Frank was nodding his head in agreement. He, too, loved
Dale, Craig and Joey, but they didn't need to be that close to
each other.
Dale and Craig were relieved. As much as they both loved
Frank and Doris, it was a strain to share a place for more than a
few days. Craig knew that Joey would be thrilled to be back in
the privacy of his own room. He just hoped that his own family
unit could find a house where they would have more room. Or,
that they could build a place of their own with the needs of each
taken into consideration.
* * * * *
They arrived at church about 15 minutes before the mass was
to start. Frank and Doris went to the Mary Chapel to light
candles in memory of their parents. Craig and Dale went to the
St. Joseph Chapel to light candles in celebration of their love
for each other and for the new venture they were starting with
the help and approval of their family.
As they settled into their now accustomed place in the third
row on the Epistle side of the aisle, each pulled out a cushion
so they could kneel for private prayers before the mass. If
anyone could have read their thoughts, the prayers were similar.
Thanksgiving for their family, a prayer for the success of the
new business and remembrance of those who had gone on before.
Dale remembered his mother and father and his grandparents.
He was thankful for Craig and Joey and also Doris and Frank and
the impact each had made on his life.
Craig was thankful for Dale and Joey having entered his
life. He couldn't remember ever being so happy.
Frank and Doris, for their part, had similar prayers. Their
concern was the move to Williamsport, praying for God's blessing
on the venture they were about to embark on. They remembered
their own parents, who were deceased, and also for their
children, Craig, Susan and Becky.
The organ prelude started and drew their attention back to
the service that was about to being. Without thinking, Dale
reached for Craig's hand and they sat there, listening to the
beautiful music Paul was playing. A glance at the service folder
told them it was "Rejoice in the Triumph" by Clifford DelMarte.
The various colors of organ voices wove their way throughout the
music, going from quiet to an extended crescendo and back again.
The prelude was joyful and yet ended on a quiet sequence of
chords. Craig squeezed Dale's hand.
The processional hymn, "Sine Nomine" (For All the Saints -
Ralph Vaughan Williams) was announced by the organist,
culminating with flourishes on the Trompette EnChamade stop that
sent shivers up and down everyone's back.
The congregation and choir sang with gusto, the thurible
being swung by Jason as Kevin walked beside him carrying the
incense boat. It had been well loaded with incense pellets.
Everyone bowed as the processional cross and candles passed their
row.
Every member of the choir was present for the mass and it
was a grand and glorious sound that came down the aisle. Dale
and Craig were proud to see Joey as he walked with the rest of
the choir.
Craig was startled to see a second thurifer walking down the
aisle in front of the clergy cross. He had never seen that
before. The clergy cross was held high, again flanked by two
candle bearers. "Wow!" was all Craig could think. Dale was
enjoying singing the hymn and was also impressed with the extra
ceremony they were about to experience. The clergy procession
went past with Father George bringing up the rear, attired in a
splendid red and white cope. Then, Craig was surprised as a
bishop carrying his crosier and blessing the congregation was
behind the priest. Dale, of course, had not been to a mass where
a bishop was present before. He was impressed with the extra
pageantry.
They later found out that it was the Archbishop of York,
Father George's mentor, who was in the United States for a visit
to "Anglican" parishes. Neither realized until later in the mass
that Fr. George's own father was in the procession, also vested
as a priest. The mass was concelebrated with Fr. George and his
father assisting the Archbishop.
Prior to the 8th verse, Paul went into a wild improvisation
to allow the clergy time to enter the sanctuary behind the
communion rail and be in place for the start of the mass. The
descant sung by the boy sopranos was wonderful. Paul and the
choir outdid themselves with music that would have turned even
the most coldhearted person into a believer in the faith.
Few in the congregation realized what an event this was. It
was seldom that the Anglican Bishops visited churches in the
Episcopal Communion in the United States. However, it did happen
from time to time and this was the second visit by this
Archbishop to St. James in Williamsport.
The Bishop of the Diocese of Houston didn't receive an
invitation to visit St. James parish for the feast of All Saints.
Although he didn't approve of Father George being gay and living
with his lover in the parish rectory, he had to admit that St.
James was the fastest growing parish in his diocese and that had
to mean something to the Bishop. It clearly sent a message that
homosexuality had no bearing on the growth of this unusual
parish. He would have to try and make amends to Fr. George when
he saw him the next time.
The mass started with the three con-celebrants approaching
the altar and bowing before it to kiss the table. The ceremony
continued with the altar being censed while the choir sang the
introit. The thurifer holding the second censer stood facing the
altar, swinging his thurible back and forth. It was smoky in the
sanctuary and the light from the stained glass windows made a
virtual rainbow in the smoke that was rising.
The Gloria was intoned after the greeting and the
congregation listened to a Mozart mass in Latin. The English
translation was printed beside the Latin in the service folder.
The ceremony continued with the ritual of the mass. The
Archbishop preached a short sermon mainly telling about his visit
to the United States and the six churches he was going to visit.
St. James was the only parish that was not a cathedral.
Frank and Doris were enthralled, as were both Dale and
Craig. This further solidified the decision Frank and Doris had
about moving to Williamsport. They loved St. James parish and
Father George. And, Paul too, for that matter. They were a good
team.
The mass continued with the intonation of the Nicene Creed.
Craig loved the rubric in the service folder at the words "He
came down from heaven and was incarnate." The instruction was:
"Here, genuflect in awe of the solemn wonder." Even the Roman
Catholic Church had done away with that part of the ritual.
At the offertory, the wonderful ceremony continued. When
the Archbishop's miter was removed he was wearing a red skullcap
underneath it. The copes worn by the two Fathers' Tikker were
removed and they were vested with matching chasubles for the
Canon of the Mass. Again, incense was visible in liberal amounts
in preparation for the liturgy to continue.
Paul brought the organ to a full climax as the thurifers
moved to the foot of the chancel steps to cense the congregation.
Communion seemed to take longer than usual. The church was
nearly full, but the line seemed to move at a reasonable pace.
The Archbishop was placing the wafers in every communicant's hand
and the two Fathers' Tikker were the chalice bearers.
Dale was listening to the music and was surprised to hear
Joey sing a solo part as Paul played the Bach "Jesu, Joy of Mans
Desiring". Joey hadn't said anything about a singing a solo
tonight. Dale and Craig reached for the others hand and listened
to their son, with great pride. and a few tears in their eyes,
too. Neither realized that Frank and Doris had reached for each
other's hand, too.
The mass was over and the recessional hymn was "Ye Watchers
and Ye Holy Ones". Again the boy sopranos sang a descant on the
last verse. When the Deacon said "Let Us Go Forth in the Name of
Christ" and the congregation responded, "Thanks Be to God" they
knelt to pray before the candles were extinguished.
Paul broke into the "Toccata" from the Widor "5th Organ
Symphony". At least two-thirds of the congregation sat to listen
to the presentation and then applauded when he finished playing.
Dale felt elated when the mass was over. The family made a
brief stop in the parish hall, as they knew Joey would be there
for cookies and punch. Father George waved the family over so he
could introduce the Archbishop and also his father.
* * * * *
Soon the family was home and had put on comfortable clothes.
Doris asked Joey to assist her in the kitchen. Craig took drink
orders. The table was already set so Dale and Frank sat down to
talk about the day. All agreed that a very significant milestone
had been reached for all of their family today.
When everyone had a drink (Joey had his usual Ginger Ale)
Frank proposed a toast:
"May our family be successful in the endeavor we have
embarked on today. I know in my own heart that this is the right
thing for us to do and if we support each other and those working
for us we will be successful beyond our dreams. To each of us, I
want to say 'I love you'."
Everyone had tears in their eyes as they hoisted their
glasses and acknowledged Frank's words.
Later as they sat down to eat, they joined hands around the
table. Dale asked the blessing for their family, for their
venture into the business and for the changes that had occurred
in all their lives the last few months. "Amen," everyone
responded at the end of the prayer.
The End of Book One of "Tales from the Ranch".
Dear Readers:
This isn't the end of "Tales from the Ranch" by any means,
but the story has to break somewhere. According to MSWord in
Garamond font at 12 pitch, this is page 970 of this story. As
all of you know, I set out two years ago to write 10 chapters
about the teen years of Jason and Kevin Williamson. I hoped that
I could reach that goal. Somewhere, about the time Dale was
introduced and Craig came along, the story took off in a
different direction. It was like the characters took over the
story and I just sat and typed.
Believe me when I say that there are more adventures for "my
family" as I have come to think of them. So, "Tales from the
Ranch" will continue with Book 2, Chapter 1 and go on from there.
I have lots of thoughts for things to happen, none bad, but they
will meet up with more people who are bigots. However, "Love
conquers all."
I have several things happening in my life right now. The
first is a change of the church where I will be playing the
organ. I found out about this new job quite by accident a month
ago. It's a Presbyterian Church with a traditional worship
service, although the choir sings a lot of good anthems with
contemporary accompaniments. There is a new 3-manual Rodgers
Organ that I'm going to enjoy playing each Sunday for two
services.
In addition, I will be having cataract surgery and lens
implants in both eyes. My right eye is scheduled for September
15th and my left on October 6th. I'm looking forward to not
having to deal with the slight double vision that has been
causing me some problems - especially in typing on the computer
and reading music.
I have one organ recital scheduled for September 28th and
I'm not learning any new music for that. Just a lot of "polish"
for pieces that I know well and hopefully, will be interesting to
the audience.
Then it's back to "Tales" as Dale and Craig start a
successful business. Plus, the Williamson boys won't be
forgotten, either. And. is Joey gay? Or just his friends that
he runs around with.
* * * * *
Author's Note: Thanks for the overwhelming response to
previous chapters. I have received positive replies from all
over the world. My special thanks for proofreading help to Paul
Daventon, who has taken time to help me catch obvious errors.
Also to two other "on-line pals", Joey Tuvok and Thomas from
Austin who have been giving me encouragement and their friendship
the last few months.
Thanks for being such loyal readers. Any comments are
appreciated and you can reach me at TulsaAuthor@aol.com. Thanks,
David.